You would think an organization that shouts about being the world's leading animal rights group -- the collective voice of the voiceless -- would rise to defend dogs who are misunderstood, abused, tortured, and forced to fight. Dogs about whom myths run rampant. Dogs who desperately need more people to have access to correct information and humane education because their lives truly depend on it. You would think all of this but you'd be wrong.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has partnered with various other groups to create "National Pit Bull Victim Awareness Day." It is meant to be a day to "raise awareness of the social and financial costs of pit bull attacks" -- pit bull attacks or, more accurately, attacks by dogs people assume to be pit bulls or, even more accurately, dog attacks. Can you spot the dog who is a pit bull in that graphic? Yea, neither could I. So many myths, so much information. It's important to educate ourselves about pit bulls, to focus on facts and not on sensational headlines.
I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise PETA is doing this. They also fiercely advocated for all of Michael Vick's dogs to be killed, stating that saving them wasn't a good use of time or money. Let's try to wrap our heads around that. PETA, which is supposed to be a champion for abused animals, said it was a waste of resources to save dogs who had lived lives full of torture and death. Aren't those exactly the animals they should be saving? Best Friends Animal Society fought PETA in court, and they won. Michael Mountain, the founder of Best Friends, stated
It's really difficult as an animal-rights, animal-protection, animal whatever-you-want-to-call-it organization to explain away the fact that pretty much all the animals you rescue, you kill. It doesn't make logical sense; it doesn't make emotional sense.
It doesn't. Thankfully, many people believed the Vick dogs were worth fighting for, those dogs went on to be ambassadors for a misunderstood breed, to be service dogs, to touch and change lives and hearts. You can read about a few of them here.
One of the most passionate and thoughtful advocates for pit bull type dogs is the mom of Ray the Vicktory dog. She just wrote a blog piece about PETA's most recent betrayal of pit bull type dogs -- Why PETA? Why?
Killing a dog because of how he looks is not ethical. Judging a dog by appearance not behavior is not animal welfare. And depriving an animal of a loving home is certainly not Animal Rights.
I think that is what is most sinister and disturbing about PETA's support of the misinformation surrounding pit bull type dogs. People look to PETA to be a beacon for animal rights, to be trailblazers. Instead, when it comes to pit bulls, they are dragging around an outdated, false belief system. Why? To what aim? They claim to approach this from the point of view that pit bulls are at an increased risk for abuse, and that's why they should be euthanized across the board. But they are propping up lies by partnering with groups who states pit bull type dogs are inherently dangerous.
I believe the folks at PETA know the "pit bulls are inherently dangerous" line is an ancient lie. I believe they know pit bull type dogs, including those who have been forced to fight, can be saved and can go on to be loving, devoted companion animals. That's what makes this sinister -- they must know, but they continue to spread the lies and lend their credibility to people who would celebrate if pit bull type dogs were extinct. And I believe they do it because it is one step closer to their end aim, which is to kill animals who would otherwise be companions. Killing animals should be counter-intuitive for an animal rights organization, for PETA it is SOP. And it is SOP for them to betray the animals they are supposed to be fighting for. This is just one more battle in their ongoing war, and that battle is easily won if people continue to believe the myths and lies about pit bull type dogs. So educate yourselves and those around you, don't believe the hype, and fight back against groups who continue to allow these dogs to suffer and be killed because of their willful ignorance or ulterior motives.